


A Changed Man

by orphan_account



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-07
Updated: 2014-07-07
Packaged: 2018-02-07 20:38:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1913067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After finally confessing she loves him... Killian appears as a changed man...</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Changed Man

Last night, somewhere, sometime in the night in a moment of passion, it had slipped out of Emma's mouth. "I love you" she had said, and meant it. She had felt rather than saw Killian's reaction and he had let the moment pass lightly, simply returning the words with his body, although he had said them first, much earlier.

  
Emma marvelled how easy it had been. Something so terrifying over so quickly, simply. Everything continued on, and Emma felt, well happy.

  
But the acknowledgement of the words appeared the next day when Killian disappeared in the morning and reappeared looking entirely like a new man.

Literally. The leather pirate outfit he had stubbornly clung to since well, always was gone, replaced with modern clothes from head to toe. Only two items remained, his earring and his thumb ring. Even the hook was missing.

  
Emma's mouth went dry at the sight of him. He looked hot, but also well normal. Her initial though was "hot damn" and it didn't even occur to her for the first 45 minutes or so, while she insisted on removing said clothing piece by piece to question the sudden change in wardrobe.

  
It was only later, as she watched him dress from the bed that the questions started to turn through her mind.

  
"Where and when did you get the clothes?" She asked Killian, noticing that the items were in good shape, but not new.

He grinned at her, almost a little self consciously "When we first came back from New York Ruby or Grannie just put a bag of clothing in the room I was in, from someone called August, who they apparently no longer fit. And after we got back from the past another bag appeared, this time from someone called Graham who apparently died before I arrived and also no longer needed them" "It was kind of her but not very subtle. I have combined various pieces based on what fits me, and what makes me look my most dashing" He wiggled his eyebrows at the last bit.

  
Emma flinched a little at the mention of Graham, and at the idea he had these clothes for a while without using them.

  
But it was not later, until breakfast at Grannies' in which everyone had comment or talked to Killian about the clothes that annoyance kicked in. A change in clothes almost seemed to mean instant acceptance.

Although Hook had already earned respect and worked himself into the group, the pirate outfit had still differentiated him and had helped keep him, well except with Emma, pushed to the sidelines or the fringes. It was a constant reminder of the worst of him, and it clearly had been holding his ability to fit in back.

Emma wondered how accepting people would be of Regina if she continued to walk around in her full Evil Queen Outfit Glory. It was shocking at how much clothes changed peoples reaction and interactions with him. And upsetting. Emma had wasted a lot of time lately worrying about him finding a place here and being accepted, only for it to happen suddenly with a simple change of clothes.  
Including her own perception. Although she had accepted Hook, including his clothing and past fully, she wondered how much the leather outfit, no matter how sexy had held her back initially. She had wanted nice normal guy. She was fearful enough about relationships and yet Hook had determinedly walked around dressed as a fairytale villain. Why?  
He had new clothes for a while. He loved her. He was also a very smart man, one that understood the power of clothes on perception. He had almost instantly had her change her clothing in the past for that very reason.  
Why had he simply not changed clothes earlier?  
Finally, she simply asked him. Obviously New York and everything since would have gone so much easier if he was dressed in modern clothes. He would have been much easy to accept. He looked almost confused and then thoughtful. He considered his response carefully. "Love, it wasn't intentional. But now that I think about it, I think it was simple. I wanted you to love me, accept me as I am, as I was. I told you that I would not use trickery, and changing my clothes seemed like that, hiding my identity. It might of been harder, but it was also necessary. I don't want to forget who I was, even if I do not like that person anymore. It still part of me."  
Emma reached over and slid her hand under his new shirt. "Okay, but keep the hook, there's something weirdly sexy about it."  
"I was hoping you would say that."

**Author's Note:**

> I am obsessed with Killian getting new clothes now... please. As much as I LOVE him, I kept thinking in Neverland how sweaty and stinky he would be in the leather get up. Hot in more than just one way :)


End file.
